Men set fire to stuck ice shanty

Monday, March 17, 2014 8:17 AM

A DNR Ranger will take enforcement action against two Merrill men who burnt down their ice shanty Saturday night.
A resident of Copper Rd. called 911 just after 9 p.m. to report an ice shanty fully engulfed in flames in Copper Bay. Units from both the Merrill Fire Department and the Wisconsin DNR responded and found the shanty was already burnt down.
After a witness reported that a person walked away from the shanty just before the fire started and left in a dark truck, the responding deputy checked the lake and found a truck matching that description stuck on the ice. The men admitted burning their own shanty as they were unable to remove it as it was stuck in ice. The DNR Ranger noted the men would be responsible for cleaning the area and would be cited for violating DNR burning rules.